Autonomous vehicles.

Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry's autonomous vehicle legislation prohibits the delivery of commercial goods by self-driving vehicles without human safety operators on California highways, establishing a regulatory framework to address emerging concerns about automated delivery services. The measure imposes administrative fines of $10,000 for initial violations and $25,000 for subsequent infractions, with penalties deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account for enforcement activities. The Department of Motor Vehicles retains authority to suspend or revoke permits from manufacturers with repeated violations.

The bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to submit a comprehensive evaluation of autonomous delivery vehicle performance and impacts by 2031 or five years after testing begins. This assessment must incorporate input from multiple agencies, including the California Highway Patrol on traffic safety, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency on employment effects, and the State Air Resources Board on environmental implications. The report will examine vehicle disengagements and crashes while providing recommendations about continuing the human operator requirement.

No deployment permits for autonomous commercial delivery vehicles without human operators can be issued until at least one year after a legislative oversight hearing reviews the department's findings. This restriction remains in place until separate legislation specifically authorizes such permits. The bill defines commercial goods as items transported for fees or business purposes that require motor carrier permits, while human safety operators must meet all federal and state qualifications for the vehicle class they oversee.